Archive for the ‘Veterinarians’ Category

Abandoned “Exotics”

March 23rd, 2010 — by Jane Wangersky
Exotic pets being abandoned in the wild – how often does that happen? Who would do a thing like that?

When you realize that most fish sold in pet stores are considered “exotics” – it just means they’re not native to the country – you can see it’s really not an unusual event.

At least 185 exotic fish species have been found in U.S. waters, says the U.S. Geological Survey, and over half of those species got there through “release or escape of aquarium fishes”. Lots of people, apparently, have been slipping their unwanted pet fish into the

Pet Health Insurance: Worth It?

March 16th, 2010 — by Jane Wangersky
After a $550 bill from the vet – for an exam and tests, not surgery -- I began thinking about getting insurance for our cat. (The one that’s legally ours, that is – the other is just living with us in long-term foster care, and has her bills paid by the humane society.)

When I began researching insurance companies, it looked like a good deal – typically about $18 a month for the first level of coverage above “accident only”. That seemed like a small price to pay to avoid another huge bill.

Then I did the math.

$18 a month

Preventing Stress in Cats

February 23rd, 2010 — by Jane Wangersky
We’ve already discussed how to tell when your cat is stressed, anxious, or depressed, and what to do about it. But, of course, it would be better to prevent the stress in the first place. If it has a physical cause, that may not be possible. Mental stress, however, can be cut down with an enriched environment – and supplying that is not as hard or expensive as it sounds.

Dr. Lorie Huston, a long time vet and writer on pet health, says there are a few things cats need to be able to go about normal

Lessons Learned from a Sick Cat

February 16th, 2010 — by Jane Wangersky
After losing his dinner a few nights ago, our younger cat began acting strangely – for him. Instead of sitting on the windowsill, mewing to be taken out or played with, he spent all day huddled with the older cat by the heating vent. He wouldn’t touch his food, either.

As I’ve learned through my writing, any behavioral change means a cat should be checked by a vet, so we took him to the animal hospital. I learned a few things in the process:

1. You can’t tell a cat’s body temperature by touch. Ours didn’t feel hot, but the vet’s thermometer

Winterizing Your Pets and Their Environment

December 21st, 2009 — by Jane Wangersky
cat by fireWinterize your pets? Isn’t it enough that they have fur (and maybe a little extra fat this time of year)?

Though nature does equip animals with winter survival gear, there are also some things we can do to make the season a better one for our pets and the other animals around us.

These tips comes from Sheri Bolda, a technician at Ellsworth Veterinary Clinic, on Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota: (more...)